Bicycle-rack



(No Model.)

G. HIRSGHMAN, Sr. & G. HIRSOHMAN, Jr.

BIGYGLE RACK.

No. 581,585. Patented Apr. 27, 1897.

lVl/ENTORS ATTORNEYS.

GEORGE IHRSOHMAN, SR, AND GEORGE HIRSOHMAN, JR, OF MORRISTOVN, NE\VJERSEY.

BICYCLE-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,585, dated April2'7, 1897.

Application filed July 6, 1896- Serial No. 598,149. (No model.)

To all lulu/Ht it nutty concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE HIRSOHMAN, Sin, and GEORGE HIRSCHMAN, Jr.,of Morristown, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-Racks, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to racks or supports for bicycles; and the objectis to provide a rack of simple construction and compara tivelyinexpensive, and, further, to provide a portable rack adapted to supporta number of bicycles.

lVe will describe a rack embodying our invention, and then point out thenovel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rack embodying our invention andshowing it in one position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing it inanother position, and Fig. 3 is a section showing the rack asjfolded.

The rack comprises base-racks 1 and 2, each consisting of a number ofparallel bars 3, ar ranged at the sides and having a space be tweenadjacent bars substantially equal to the width of a bicycle-wheel tire.The several bars forming the base-racks are connected together at theends, as here shown, by means of rods 41 and 5, extended throughtransverse holes in the bars and secured by nails or otherwise. Eachbase-rack has a central bar 6, and connecting-rods 7 extend throughthese bars 6 and engage with the inner base-bars 3. The inner ends ofthe several bars 3 have hinge connections with base-blocks 8. Thesebase-blocks S are arranged between adjacent bars 3, and a hingeconnection is provided by extending the rods 5 through transverse holesin said base-blocks.

Secured rigidly to the base-blocks 8 are vertical rack-bars 9, the spacebetween said vertical rack-bars being alined with the space between thebars 3. These vertical rack-bars 9 are connected together at the top bya rod 10 and at the bottom by a rod 11. This vertical rack portion alsohas a central bar 12, the

lower end of which extends between the inner ends of the opposite bars6. This vertical bar 12 is connected with the bars 9 by means of therods 10 and 11 and a rod 13, which extends through said central bar andengages with the inner vertical bars 9, as plainly indicated in thedrawings. Brace-rods 14 are connected at one end to the vertical bar 12,and have at their opposite ends hook portions adapted to engage ineither one of the eyes 15 01'16 on the central base-bars 6.

By the construct-ion described it will be seen that either one or bothof the base-racks may be folded up against the vertical rack and inclose engagement therewith, as illustrated in Fig. When it is desired touse only one side of the rack, one of the base-rack portions may befolded up toward the vertical rack, and by engaging the hook end of thebracerods 1 1 with the eye 16 the said base-rack portion will be held atan angle relatively to the vertical portion, so that the rod 4 willprevent the entrance of a wheel between the vertical bars 0. When it isdesired to employ both sides of the rack for supporting bicycles, thetwo base portions may be arranged centrally, as indicated in Fig. 2, andsecured by engaging the hook ends of the brace-rods 14 to the eyes 15.The rack, as here shown, is constructed for supporting four bicycles,but it is obvious that it may be made to support a greater or lessnumber.

In operation a wheel of a bicycle at one side of the vertical rack isplaced between the bars 2-5 and between the coincident bars 9, and thena bicycle may be placed on the opposite side of the vertical portion andengaged with its wheel between the next bars 9 and the coincident bars3. The wide space between the wheel-supporting bars provides room forthe handle-bars of the several bicycles.

It will be seen that the rod 10, together with the base-block, forms astop to prevent a wheel from extending too far between the bars 9 andthat the rods 4 will prevent the wheel from running backward or out ofthe rack. As all of the parts of this rack exceptin the brace-rods andeyes may be made of wood, it is obvious that the rack will be quitelight, and therefore easily transported or moved from place to place,and, further, its construction of wood will make it comparatively cheap,both as to material and manufacture.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A bicycle-rack, comprising the verticalrack-bars, a base-block rigidly secured to said vertical rack-bars andholding the same in vertical position, said base-block projecting vbut ashort distance from the vertical rackbars, whereby it forms a stop bywhich to limit the inward movement of the wheel, and the base'rack barspivot-ally secured to said base-blocks and in alinement with saidvertical rack-bars, as set forth.

2. A bicycle-support for a number of bicycles, comprising base-blocks,vertical rackbars secured to said base-blocks, transverse rodsconnecting said vertical rack-bars, one of which forms with saidbase-blocks forward stops for the wheels, base rack portions formed ofbars pivotally connected at one end to said base-blocks at oppositesides of the vertical bars and against which they may be folded,transverse rods connecting the baserack bars near their opposite orouter ends and forming rear stops for the Wheels, and meanssubstantially as described, for holding the base-rack portions at rightand acute angles to the vertical rack-bars independently of each other,as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A bicycle-support for a number of bicycles, comprising base-blocks,vertical rackbars secured to said base-blocks, transverse rods securingsaid vertical bars together, one of such rods serving with saidbase-blocks as forward stops for the wheels, a central vertical barsupported bysaid rods, base-rack bars pivotally connected to saidbase-blocks at opposite sides of said Vertical rack-bars and againstwhich they may be folded, transverse rods securing the base-rack barstogether at both ends, such rods at the outer ends of said base-rackbars serving as rear stops for the wheels, central base-bars supportedby said rods on opposite sides of said central vertical bar, brace-hooksconnected to said central vertical bar, and eyes on each of said centralbase-bars and arranged to receive said hooks whereby the base-racks maybe held at right and acute angles to the vertical racks, as and for thepurpose set forth.

GEORGE HIRSOHMAN, SR. GEORGE HIRSCHMAN, JR.

WVitnesses:

JAMES W. KAY, WILLIAM L. EASTON.

